1 killed in West Side motor scooter crash

May 20, 2009

A Chicago man died when the motor scooter he was driving hit a utility truck that was turning into a truck yard in West Town this morning, authorities said.

A man identified as Stevhan Gobble, 40, of the 4100 block of North Maplewood Avenue, was driving a 1980 Honda motor scooter north on Elston Avenue when the scooter hit the back of the utility truck about 10:28 a.m., authorities said.

The truck was turning into the driveway of a utility company facility in the 1100 block of North Elston Avenue when the crash happened, police said.

After the scooter hit the truck, it slid under the truck, said Police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor. When Fire Department medical personnel arrived on the scene, they found Gobble under the truck, unresponsive, she said.

Initial reports and witness statements did not indicate if Gobble was speeding at the time of the crash, Taylor said.

Gobble was taken the Cook County medical examiner's office, where he was declared dead this afternoon.